Nonclogging eaves structure



1954 G. A. BARTHOLOMEW 2,669,950

NONCLOGGING EAVEIS STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 8, 1952 Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NONCLOGGING EAVE S STRUCTURE George A. Bantliolomem littsburgh, 1

Application 0ctober'8, 1952, Serial No. 313,731 7: Claims. (01. 108-928).

This invention relates toeaves' structures for houses and other buildings, and; more-particularly to means for preventing sticks, leaves and like debris from falling into the eaves troughs or-b'eing washed into them by rain or snow flowing down thereof.

Ordinarily eaves troughs collect practically all of the foreign objects that. are washed off a roof by rain water or melting. snow. Such objects also fall directly into the troughs or first fall on the roof and then slide or blow dnwn into the troughs. Unless the troughs are cleaned periodically, and often in spite of it, the down spouts and drains may become clogged. Long ago it was suggested that this problem could be solved by locating. the

trough in a protected position back underthe overhanging eaves and then conducting the water from the roof into the trough. by means of a sheet metal strip or divertier extending along the lower edge of the roof and bent lengthwise to. form upper and lower inclined portions connected by a curved portion or nose. The upper portion was nailed to the edge of the roof beneath the shingles, and the nose was located a few inches. beyond the roof. The inclined lower portion of the strip extended back under the eaves to the trough. In some cases the strip and trough were formed from a single piece of sheet metal. Such a construction is shown in Nye Patent. No; 603,611. It has been proven that water flowing down the roof will spread out in a film over the metal strip and adhere to it well enough to flow around the curved. portion of the strip and down the lower inclined portion to the trough. On the other hand, sticks or any other objects that are too still to conformto the curved nose, or that have a small surface area. for their weight, will not follow the water around the curve but. will. cascade over it and fall to. the ground. Such a diverter solved only part of the prcbiem, however, because wet leaves, pieces of paper and: other flexible objects that have: great surface: area. for their weight. simply flowed with the water around the: curved nose of. the diverter and into the trough.

It is among the objects: of this invention to so improve the type of diverter' described above thatit will also. separate leaves and. other similar objects from the water so that only water and harmless objects will enter the eaves trough.

The invention is illustrated the accompanying drawings in: which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section showing my: eaves-stmcture; v v

. 2 is airaementarrrvisw as seen tram at the trough;

. which extends the length of: the roof. Thisstxi? extends a short distance beyond the edge of the roof and then is curved: downward and transmits! to form a nose -6. The portion. E oi the strip be.- low the nose is inclined bTEtCk; under the'oujerhm ing'eaves nearly to the: wall. oi the building. then is curved outward and. upward. to eaves trough 8. The strip thus; has upper. and lower inclined portions which diverge toward the building from the connecting curve-d portion er nose. The type of diveiter described thus far was tried in the past, but did: not prove: successful: because wet leaves or other objects. that could follow the water around the nose of the nth: would do so and would flow with the water downinto the trough. This objection has been 0W1- come by me in the manner that nowwill be pointed out.

In accordance with this invention the lower surface of the inclined lower portion Qfithfi? diverter is provided with a plurality of laterally spaced projections 9 throughout its len th These projections are so formed andarranged that, as the water carries: the debris along, they strip leaves: and paper and any other likeamaterial fgoma the lower surface of the divertcr liq an sufiieient to reduce materially the contest. a $1? between the foreign objects and the flat lower surface of incline- 1 so that; the water film ing them to the metal will be unable. to R8 5 $13 leaves and the like from falling away from. diverter; I v p v p The: projections 9 may take various but preferably they should. be elongated the direc tion of how of. water and they should extendtro n th strip at their highest pointa dist ric rou h y between one-fourth and one-half inc. By lo t.-; ing the projections about an inch downstream from nose 6', they will not interfere with. flIoW of water around the nose. The distance that the projections are spaced apart depends somewhat on the nature of the objects expected to be stripped from the plate, but in general they'sliouid be, in the: neighborhood or about an" Ir they are together may to i a thatwill' cause down over them and separate from the diverter. before it can reach the trough. On the other hand, if the projections are too far apart, some of the leaves etc. obviously will pass between them and enter the trough. A very good form of projection is one that tapers towards its upstream end, especially one of general pyramidal shape. Such a shape is V-shape in cross section and has a gradual increase in height from the upstream end of the projection to its vertex. The preferred form of projection is a modified pyramid, in which the upstream portion is elongated relative to the downstream portion as shown in'Figsl and 3, so that the upstream portion will havea more gradual slope along which the leaves can easilybe pushed by the flowing water untilthey fall.

If desired, the eaves trough can be a separate the direction of flow of the water over said lower surface.

3. In an eaves structure, wherein a sheet metal strip which is adapted to extend along the lower edge of a roof above a trough with one edge of the strip attached to the roof is bent lengthwise to form upper and lower inclined portions diverging from a connecting curved portion beyond the roof sothat waterfrom the roof can flow around the outside of said curved portion and .down the lower surface of said lower inclined portion to the trough, a plurality of laterally spaced projections on the lower surface of said I the trough, said projections extending between element, into which the diverter discharges water.

Such a trough is shown at l2 in Fig. 4. It is suspended by brackets I3 from the underside of the overhanging. roof M. The diverter itself is made .the same shape as before, with a curved nose l5 from which inclined upper and lower portions It and H diverge. The lower edge of the sheet metal strip extends into the trough. Inclined lower portion I! may be provided with the same kind of projections 9 shown in the preceding figures, or with projections of some other' suitable shape. Those shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are long narrow projections l8 disposed in parallel relation. Water flowing down the diverter passes between them, but leaves and other objects that otherwise would be carried along with the water are lifted from the inclined surface by the projections'and fall away from the diverter before reaching the trough.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what wenow consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In an eaves structure, wherein a sheet metal strip which is adapted to extend along the lower edge of a roof above a trough with one edge of the strip attached to the roof is bent lengthwise to form upperand lower inclined portions diverging from a connecting curved portion beyond the roof so that water from the roof can flow around the outside of said curved portion and down the lower surface of said lower inclined, portion to the trough, a plurality of laterally spaced projections on the lower surface of said inclined lower'portion of the strip for stripping flexible leaves and the like from said surface so that they will drop away from it before reaching the trough.

2. In an eaves structure, wherein a sheet metal strip which is adapted to extend along the lower edge of a roof above a trough with one edge of the strip attached to the roof is bent lengthwise to form upper and lower inclined portions diverging from a connecting curved portion beyond the roof so that water from the roof can flow around the outside of said curved portion and down the lower surface of said lower inclined portion to the trough, a plurality of laterally spaced projections on the lower surface of said inclined lower portion of the strip for stripping flex-ible-zl'eaves andthe like fromisaid surfaceso' thatftheywill drop away from it before reaching. the trough, said projections being elongated in about'one-quarter and one-half inch from said lower surface.

4. In an eaves structure, wherein a sheet metal strip which is adapted to extend along the lower edge of a roof above a trough with one edge of the strip attached to the roof is bent lengthwise to form upper and lower inclined portions diverging from a connecting curved portion beyond the roof so that water from the roof can flow around the outside of said curved portion and down the lower surface of said lower inclined :portion to the trough, a plurality of laterally 5. In an eaves structure, wherein a sheet metal strip which is adapted to extend along the lower edge of a roof above a trough with one edge of r the strip attached to the roof is bent lengthwise to form upper and lower inclined portions diverging from a connecting curved portion beyond the roof so that water from the roof can flow around the outside of said curved portion and down the "lower surface of said lower inclined portion to the trough, a plurality of laterally spaced projections on the lower surface of saidv inclined lower portion of the strip for stripping flexible leaves and the like from said surface so that they will drop away from it before reaching the trough, said projections being elongated in the direction of flow ofthe water over said lower surface and tapering toward their upstream ends. 6. In an eaves structure, wherein a sheet metal strip which is adapted to extend along the lower edge of a roof above. a trough with one edge of the strip attached to the roof is bent lengthwise to form upper and "lower. inclined portions diverging from a connecting curved portion beyond the roof so that water from the roof can flow around the outside of said curved portion and down the lower surfaceof said lower inclined por-',

tion to the trough, a plurality of laterally spaced projections on the lower surface of said inclined lower portion of the strip for stripping flexible leaves and the like from said surface so that theywill drop awayfrom it before'reachin the trough,'said projections being of general pyramidal shape.

7. In an eaves structure, wherein a sheet metal strip which is adapted to extend along the lower edge of a roof above a trough with one edge of the strip attached'to the roof-is bent lengthwise to form upper and lower inclined portions -..di .vergingfrom a connecting curved -portion beyond the roof so that water from the roof can flow! @FQQPQ 1? 9llt$i1 of said curved portion and 5 down the lower surface of said lower inclined References Cited in the file of this patent portion to the trough, a plurality of laterally UNITED STATES PATENTS spaced pro ectlons on the lower surface of saidinclined lower portion of the strip for stripping Number Name Date flexible leaves and the like from said surface so 5 6031611 Nye May 1898 that they will drop away from it before reaching 2,583,422 Haddon 1952 the trough, said projections being elongated in the direction of flow of the water over said lower surface and being V-shaped in cross section with a gradual increase in height from their upstream 1o ends to a point near their opposite ends.

GEORGE A. BARTI-IOLOMEW. 

